Science

Stockton Wood Primary School achieves … PSQM Science Quality Mark!
The Primary Science Quality Mark is led by the University of Hertfordshire, School of Education in collaboration with the Primary Science Teaching Trust. The PSQM mission is to transform lives by improving science education in every primary school, for every teacher, for every child.
Our commitment to science teaching and learning at Stockton Wood has been recognised through the Award of the Silver Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) in 2018. The Quality Mark supports our ongoing evaluation of the teaching and learning of science in our school. This year our Quality Mark will be reassessed as we aim to demonstrate excellence in Science once again, showing that children are engaged with great science both in and outside of the classroom, they are developing positive attitudes towards science and are securing understanding and skills.
At Stockton Wood Primary School, our science teaching promotes intrigue and knowledge through an engaging curriculum. We aim for all our children to learn more and remember more. In science, children develop their knowledge through a perspective of ‘wonder, curiosity and what if…’ as they view the world around them. Our science curriculum is designed to ensure pupils build upon prior learning, supporting all learners in making rich connections in knowledge, underpinned by scientific vocabulary and secure language development. Teaching encourages children to explore concepts and develop the necessary substantive and disciplinary knowledge to break down ideas, promoting resilience in finding solutions and recording learning showing their understanding. Pupil led science investigations are designed to capture enthusiasm and support knowledge acquisition. Working scientifically through the five lines of enquiry: observation overtime; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing and research using secondary sources is taught alongside subject learning. Our pupils are motivated to work together and independently to continually question, discuss, engage and reflect throughout knowledge and enquiry learning.

Science Capital at Stockton Wood Primary School is based around real-life experiences and supports curriculum learning retention. We utilise the school environment and local community to promote aspirational views of science in the world of work. Science at Stockton Wood Primary School encourages our children to have the confidence to apply their scientific knowledge to other subjects and to know that science plays an important role in the world we live in.
The principles of Science teaching and learning in Stockton Wood Primary School are:

• Having a go!
• Solving problems and finding answers.
• Learning outside of the classroom.
• Asking questions.
• Enjoyable!
• Using different equipment and resources.
• Having talking partners and discussing results.
• Planning, making predictions and investigating.
• Being excited about our learning!

What does my child learn in school?
We aim to ensure that all children make progress across all areas of the curriculum:
• To develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding.
• To develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them.
• To be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implication of science, today and for the future.

EYFS
In Early Years, the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Curriculum and Development Matters document are used for planning and assessment. In the Foundation Stage, pupils experience a wide range of activities linked to ‘Understanding the World’.
‘Understanding the World’ involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment. Activities are planned for children to play, explore, actively learn and develop their thinking skills in science through focused, continuous and enhanced provision. In Early Years, our children are encouraged to explore science through different resources using a variety of natural materials found in school and at home, fostering a sticky knowledge approach. This time is used to develop a broad scientific vocabulary introducing experiences of phenomena our children will learn about in later year groups. The links we develop between school and home exemplifies how families can support children with their learning. Staff use demonstration, practical work, explanation and assessment opportunities at the start, throughout and the end of each unit of science to address misconceptions, support the transfer of learning from one context to another and provide our children with constructive feedback to support their working memory for next steps in learning.

See Stockton Wood’s Science Curriculum Overview by clicking here

PLAN Progression in Knowledge